Basketball Preview: Franklin Academy Patriots vs. Raleigh Charter Phoenix
The Franklin Academy Patriots will venture away from home to challenge the Raleigh Charter Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Franklin Academy has three straight wins, Raleigh Charter has five straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.
Last Tuesday, Franklin Academy got the win against Research Triangle by a conclusive 66-44. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 47th, while the Raptors are ranked 252nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Micah Rutledge continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 14 rebounds. What's more, he also racked up ten offensive rebounds, the most he's had since back in November of 2023. Hayes Lewis was another key player, going 5 for 10 en route to 12 points plus five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Raleigh Charter scored the most points they've had all season on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough. They took a 63-57 hit to the loss column at the hands of Excelsior Classical Academy. While the Phoenix didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Flying Lions 20-13 in the first quarter.
Franklin Academy pushed their record up to 6-1 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.5 points per game. As for Raleigh Charter, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-4.
Everything came up roses for Franklin Academy against Raleigh Charter in their previous meeting back in February, as the squad secured a 75-44 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for Franklin Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
